For over a year now, people in the UK have lived with restrictions due to the COVID-19 pandemic. But how does the UK public really feel about the restrictions easing so far?
Data analysts at Barnstaple-based holiday lettings agency My Favourite Cottages have analysed the latest data from Visit Britain* to discover how concerns about travelling within the UK have changed over the last 6 weeks.
Throughout May, the top concern for holidaymakers from the South West of England was government restrictions on travel, with a peak of 65 percent admitting they were worried about the uncertainty surrounding the on-going easing of restrictions early in the month.
This is a huge increase from late-October when, just as the country was going into its second lockdown, only 15% of residents in the South West were concerned about government travel restrictions continuing into June – a stark difference to the rest of the UK where over half of respondents reported this was their primary concern late last year (53%).
In the latest survey carried out in the first week of June, the primary concern is restrictions on opportunities to socialise (49%) – and it appears people are right to be worried as Boris Johnson’s latest announcement puts the roadmap out of lockdown on hold, meaning holidays for big groups are out of the question for a while longer.
Following closely in joint second are government travel restrictions and catching COVID-19, with 41 percent of residents admitting they were equally concerned about both. The notions that travelling this month may be irresponsible, and that there are fewer things to see and do, make up the final positions in the top 5 concerns for residents in the South West (both 33%).
| Travel Concerns for Residents of the South West of England | 4th – 9th May | 17th – 21st May | 31st May – 6th June |
| Concerns about catching COVID-19 | 11% | 29% | 41% |
| Government restrictions on travel | 65% | 55% | 41% |
| General unease about travel | 12% | 29% | 21% |
| Personal finances | 32% | 29% | 32% |
| Not responsible to travel in this period | 18% | 20% | 33% |
| Restrictions on opportunities to socialise | 48% | 55% | 49% |
| Fewer opportunities to eat/drink out | 55% | 23% | 24% |
| Fewer things to do/places to visit | 65% | 12% | 33% |
| Limited annual leave | 6% | 0% | 10% |
| Local residents may be unwelcoming | 8% | 0% | 8% |
| Unwilling to travel until vaccinated | 7% | 6% | 16% |
The spread of the Delta variant over recent weeks appears to have seriously affected the public’s perspective:
In early May, catching COVID-19 didn’t even make the top five concerns, with only 11 percent of potential holidaymakers from the South West concerned about contracting the virus, which has since risen by 30 percent in early June.
The perception that it isn’t responsible to travel this month has almost doubled between May 9th and June 6th, seeing a 15 percent increase, and the general unease about travel has also increased by 9 percent in the same period – 21 percent of South West residents now identify this as an increasing concern.
The percentage of residents revealing they are unwilling to travel until they receive their COVID-19 vaccinations has more than doubled in the last 6 weeks too (now 16%). This comes despite more than half of UK adults having now received both injections and the government bringing forward the goal to give the first dose to all adults by July 19th.
Famed for its stunning coastlines and surfing potential, the South West of England has even been likened to being abroad. It therefore comes as no surprise that Brits nationwide have consistently selected it as the most likely place for their next UK trip**, with one fifth of holidaymakers pinpointing the South West as their next staycation destination.
Cornwall and the Isles of Scilly are the most in-demand locations in the region, receiving 42 percent of votes in the latest survey from holidaymakers’ intending to travel to the South West, whilst Devon ranks a close-second with 36 percent of the British public citing it for their intended holiday.
Dorset comes third with 18 percent and Somerset and Bristol make up the final two places in the top five most popular staycation destinations in the South West, scoring 10 percent and 6 percent of votes respectively.
Harry Roberts, Director of My Favourite Cottages, commented on the findings:
“With the government announcing a four-week delay to ‘Freedom Day’, it’s only natural that the uncertainty surrounding new variants may cause holidaymakers some concern.
However, we look forward to welcoming holidaymakers back to our cottages for a well-deserved staycation and will do our best to accommodate guests, while providing reassurance – to ease any concerns they might have.”
